Big Bang: Fireworks primer
Casey’s Fireworks on Rosewood Drive is a family-owned business that has been around since 1949. After starting out as an open-air market, the business eventually became exclusively a fireworks store, open year-round.
John Casey says the store has the most brands and the largest selection of fireworks you’ll find in one store – and they even carry some exclusive fireworks.
First, the rules:
▪ Fireworks are legal to be bought, stored and fired be those 16 and older in South Carolina, and they are available year-round.
▪ Some cities and towns have noise ordinances or prohibit fireworks. When in doubt, ask local law enforcement.
▪ As long as fireworks are stored in a cool, dry place and the fuses kept away from liquids, fireworks can be used years after purchase.
▪ Never aim fireworks at another living being (person or animal).
▪ Be careful of your surroundings: Do not use fireworks in extremely dry areas; do not shoot fireworks into trees.
▪ Always have adult supervision.
What’s new for 2015:
▪ Honey Badger Don’t Care. Named after the fierce animal for a reason. It is loud. It is colorful. And, according to Casey, when Honey Badger Don’t Care lights up, it sends fireworks up to 175 feet into the sky. When it explodes, “you can feel the boom in your body and it’s like you’re in the middle of the explosion.”
Casey offers this tip when you’re buying boxes of multiple-shot fireworks: Look at the shot count versus the size of the box. Large box + low shot count = bigger fireworks, explosions.
The Classics:
▪ Sparklers. These hand-held sticks “spark” in classic white and red, blue and green. New is the fluorescent four-pack that glows neon colors of yellow, red, blue and green.
▪ Black Cat. Mini groupings of firecrackers that snap and pop when lit.
Somewhat harmless:
There is a large selection of sparklers, spinners, tanks, novelty and fountain fireworks that never leave the ground. Some of the more interesting ones in this category are:
▪ The Frog Prince (and smaller two-pack Prince and Princess) is noiseless and has eyes that glow and shoots a fountain of colored sparks when lit.
▪ Fiery Ball is a three-pack of ground-based blooms of color.
▪ Chicken Blowing Balloon inflates to a chicken shape that emits glowing pellets before exploding.
▪ For a cute airborne rocket, the Smiley Face is exactly what its name implies. When it explodes, the sparks form a happy face in the sky.
Bang for your buck:
Casey’s sells pre-packaged firework assortments ranging in size (and cost) from small (around $20) to large show-stoppers (upwards of $150).
For $20, you can get an assortment of handmade fireworks that include mini lasers, strobes, bottle rockets and a tank (the tank rolls across concrete, sparkling like it’s firing a cannon).
One of the medium show packages, the Red, White & Boom, contains the Tri Thunder box which, at 500 grams of powder, has the largest amount of powder allowed by law to be loaded onto a single fuse. Yes, it is loud.
If you REALLY want to put on a show, The Excalibur show-in-a-box is “the Cadillac collection” of all packaged assortments. Found in the Pro Section at Casey’s, this box comes with its own launcher and features 24 jumbo-sized fireworks.
If you go: Casey’s Fireworks, 3830 Rosewood Drive, (803) 738-9173, caseysfireworks.com.
This story was originally published June 30, 2015 at 7:28 PM with the headline "Big Bang: Fireworks primer."